pl_l-15-00075_nomination_staff

LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO. 3: L-15-00075

STAFF REPORT

A. SUMMARY

L-15-00075 Public hearing for consideration of placing the structure located at 1345 West Campus Road, Lots 8, 9, 10 and the east one-half of Lot 13, University Heights Addition to the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, the Chi Omega Sorority House, on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. Adopt Resolution 2015-06, if appropriate.

The public hearing for the nomination of the structure to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places will be held on April 16, 2015 at 6:30 p.m., or thereafter, at Lawrence City Hall, 6 E 6^th Street, in the City Commission Room.

B. HISTORIC REGISTER STATUS

1345 West Campus Road was listed in the Register of Historic Kansas Places in January 1983.

C. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

1) History Summary

See Register Nomination Section 8. The structure was built in 1925 with additions in 1964 and a window alteration with a patio addition on the south side in 2014.

2) Architectural Integrity Summary

See Register Nomination Section 7. The structure maintains integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship to make it worthy of preservation.

3) Context Description

The structure located at 1345 West Campus Road, the Chi Omega House, is representative of the Tudor style of architecture. The house was constructed in 1925 during the Quiet University Town, 1900-1945 period as defined by the Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF).

The house is sited on 3 and ½ residential lots of approximately 8,400 sf. per lot. Total lot size for the subject property is 29,400. The lots were original platted as residential lots of 60’ X 140’ in July of 1909 as the University Heights subdivision. The existing development pattern for this area does not reflect this subdivision plat rather the development pattern is four large structures that face West Campus Road and a smaller commercial structure that faces Jayhawk Boulevard and is addressed on Crescent Road. The setbacks for the four large structures facing West Campus Road create a front lawn. The Chi Omega House is the closest to the street. The rear yards of these structures are all developed with parking lots.

Surrounding the subject property are residential uses to the west with a mix of lot sizes, the University of Kansas to the east and south and to the north are fraternity houses similar to the Chi Omega House.

4) Planning and Zoning Considerations

1345 West Campus Road is zoned RMG, Multi Dwelling Residential Greek Housing District. The primary purpose of this district is to provide areas for Greek Housing in proximity to a university or college that provides higher education. The area surrounding 1345 West Campus Road is a mix of zoning including a Mixed Use District to the west and U-KU zoning for the University of Kansas property to the east.

5) Fiscal Comments

There are no monetary benefits directly associated with nomination of a structure to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places at this time. However, Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence does identify mechanisms for financial incentives. If these programs become available in the future, structures listed on the Lawrence Register will be eligible for participation.

Listing on the local register does help preserve built resources important to Lawrence's history and helps to maintain streetscapes in older neighborhoods through environs reviews.

The original information submitted with nominations for properties to the Lawrence Register is kept on file in the City Planning office for public review and consultation with regard to development projects within the notification area.

6) Positive/Negative Effects of the Designation

The positive effect of designation is the creation of a permanent record of the historical significance of an individual property, for its architectural quality or its association with a significant local individual or event. This provides the local Historic Resources Commission with pertinent historical data which can help to provide an ‘historic' perspective to property owners when they desire to improve, add on, or redevelop a property within an older section of the City.

The public accessibility of this information is also a resource as it can be used by realtors, builders/developers, and others in the community prior to a property's resale, redevelopment or rehabilitation. In a more general sense, this information can be used by the Chamber of Commerce and existing businesses and industries to ‘identify' one of the facets that makes up Lawrence's Quality of Living.

Additional effects of designation are the creation of an arbitrary, 250' environs notification and review area. Within this 250' circle, projects which require city permits, e.g., demolition, redevelopment, renovation or modification, require review by Historic Resources staff or the Commission. These environs reviews permit scrutiny of proposed development/redevelopment by individuals sensitive to historic preservation.

A Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship is required to be issued by the Historic Resources Commission before a City permit can be issued for the proposed project. If the Historic Resources Commission denies a Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship, the property owner can appeal to the City Commission for a new hearing. The City Commission can uphold the decision of the HRC or it can grant the proposed development over the Historic Resources Commission's action. Certificates of Appropriateness or Economic Hardship are required for a project within the 250' radius of a Local Register property.

Examples of projects which would require review and approval are: projects involving the exterior building which are considered ‘structural' changes, demolitions or partial demolitions. Minor changes which require a city permit can be administratively approved by the Historic Resources Administrator.

7) Summary of Applicable Designation Criteria

Chapter 22, of the City Code is the Conservation of Historic Resources Code for the City of Lawrence. Section 22-403 of this code establishes criteria for the evaluation of an application for nomination to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

D. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION AND DESIGNATION - Section 22-403

Nine criteria are provided within this section for review and determination of qualification as a Landmark or Historic District. These criteria are set forth below with staff's recommendations as to which this application qualifies for:

(1) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the community, county, state, or nation;

The Chi Omega house is significant for its association with the Chi Omega Fraternity and the development of fraternal organizations in Lawrence associated with the growth of the University of Kansas.

(2) Its location as a site of a significant local, county, state, or national event;

(3) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state, or nation;

(4) Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials;

(5) Its identification as a work of a master builder, designer, architect, or landscape architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the community, county, state or nation;

(6) Its embodiment of elements of design, detailing, materials, or craftsmanship that render it architecturally significant;

The Chi Omega House is a good example of a large residential structure designed in the Tudor style of architecture. The house was designed to provide housing for a specific group of students.

(7) Its embodiment of design elements that make it structurally or architecturally innovative;

(8) Its unique location or singular physical characteristics that make it an established or familiar visual feature;

(9) Its character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure; including, but not limited to farmhouses, gas stations, or other commercial structures, with a high level of integrity or architectural significance.

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The HISTORIC RESOURCES CODE establishes a procedure to follow in the forwarding of a recommendation to the City Commission on applications for listing on the local register.

"Following the hearing the commission shall adopt by resolution a recommendation to be submitted to the city commission for either (a) designation as a landmark or historic district; (b) not to designate as a landmark or historic district; or, (c) not to make a recommendation. The resolution shall be accompanied by a report to the city commission containing the following information:

The Historic Resources Commission needs to formulate its recommendation in response to the following subsections section 22-404.2 (b):

(1) Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or historic district as it relates to the criteria for designation as set forth in section 22-403;

(2) Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or historic district;

(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected; and,

(B) The types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit, that cannot be undertaken without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.

(4) In the case of a nominated historic district found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The types of significant exterior architectural features of the structures within the nominated historic district that should be protected;

(C) A list of all key contributing, contributing and noncontributing sites, structures and objects within the historic district.

(5) Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of certificates of appropriateness to the nominated landmark or historic district.

(6) The relationship of the nominated landmark or historic district to the on-going effort of the commission to identify and nominate all potential areas and structures that meet the criteria for designation.

(7) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark or the boundaries of the nominated historic district.

E. RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends the Chi Omega House located at 1345 West Campus Road for designation as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places pursuant to Criteria #1 and #6 as described in Section 22-403.

If the Historic Resources Commission recommends this property for local nomination, the Commission should adopt Resolution 2015-06 for recommendation to be submitted to the City Commission for designation as a landmark. In addition to the resolution, the Commission should direct staff to prepare a report to accompany the resolution including the information set forth in Section 22-404.2(1) - (7) and the environs definition.

Staff recommends the following for the report to the City Commission:

(1) Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or historic district as it relates to the criteria for designation as set forth in section 22-403;

The Chi Omega House is significant for its association with the Chi Omega Fraternity at the University of Kansas and for its Tudor style architecture.

(2) Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or historic district;

The structure maintains significant integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship that make it worthy of preservation.

(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected; and,

The fenestration pattern, dormers on the east elevation with indication of half-timbering, all stone accents around windows and doors, and the bay projection and details on the east elevation - should be protected.

(B) The types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit that cannot be undertaken without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.

Alterations to the window patterns, stone accents and dormer windows on the east elevation should require a Certificate of Appropriateness.

(5) Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of certificates of appropriateness to the nominated landmark or historic district.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, published in 1990, and any future amendments, in addition to any criteria specified by Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence, Kansas.

The HRC may also adopt An Analysis of the Environs for 1345 West Campus Road and delineate how environs review will be conducted in relation to the listed property.

A primary goal of the HRC is to build a Register of properties which show the diversity and growth of Lawrence since its inception. The nomination of this property is another step toward registering a wide variety of historic properties which together present a visual history of Lawrence’s past. The goal of the Lawrence Register of Historic Places is to represent all socioeconomic strata; businesses and industries which illustrate the diversity that has been prevalent in Lawrence since its inception.

(7) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark.

See attached

Staff recommends the following actions:

1. Recommend to the City Commission the Chi Omega House located at 1345 West Campus Road for designation as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places pursuant to Criteria #1 and #6 as described in Section 22-403 and direct staff to prepare a report with the information included in the staff recommendation.

2. Adopt Resolution 2015-06.

3. Adopt the environs definition as presented by staff for 1345 West Campus Road.